[jent]

I'll use the EC whenever Steeler is getting to aggressive with the chihuahua, or when the guy with the pit bulls takes him out and I'm working with Steeler, as he sometimes will get the idea to take off after them.

I am a HUGE fan of the electric collar. I used them lots when training Labradors for field trials. And was not hesitant to start using one on my GSD. He has responded great to it, has kept his enthusiasm up great. He amazes most people at what levels of distractions he can focus through and remain on command. When used in an appropriate manner and with the right structure there is IMO no tool more valuable than the EC.

With that said, the reason I am quoting your post is that using an EC for aggression is a COMPLETELY wrong approach to take. A dog that is in a fight mode, or starting to become aggressive is not a good time to use a collar, even if the collar is normally used in training. It is a well known and believed that using an EC while in an aggressive situation may cause the situation to get worse. If already in a fight it very well can intensify the fight. You should look towards other tools to handle aggressive situations.

 

[jent]

I don't have a problem with them, but they should not be used on a 6 month old pup, there are so many other methods of training and the e-collar is one I would wait on(prong as well). If other methods aren't working at least you have something else in the tool box, but I would first question my methods before resorting to the last resort. JMO

I don't think a statement like this can be true for everyone. I started using the collar on my dog at 6 months. The reason was, just because he was at that level in his training. We had been training twice a day for 4 months at that point, and he was ready to handle more. I rather not set my dog up to fail, and instead have him succeed from the start. So for us to increase distractions and make his training more precise, I felt the collar was needed. Here is how our program looked for my 6 month old:
* at 6 months he would start wearing the collar during training sessions, just to get him used to it for a couple weeks
* After a couple weeks of training with the collar on him, but not used, we then started to work to make sure he understood how to turn off the shock. In order to do this we went back on to the lead. Then I would give him a command, with a very high level of distraction. When he did not respond I would correct him with both the lead and the collar. As he corrected himself (which he did quickly after being so used to lead training), the shock would stop. After a month of that he understood very clearly what the collar ment in his life, and how he could avoid or stop the shock.

Now he is 8 months old, and has an incredible level of obedience, drive to train/work, and pleasure in training. My point is just that, some dogs progress faster than others. And I believe that when you train regularly (twice a day every day for me), it goes even faster.